The DZ77GA-70K is not exactly the rebirth of Intel's SkullTrail series but it certainly does bear similar branding. Instead it is a high end Z77 based board which features integral Bluetooth and WiFi, 8 USB 3.0 ports, three PCIe 3.0 16x slots, a pair of PCIe 1x slots and even two PCI slots. [H]ard|OCP liked the UEFI BIOS that Intel has included, though they feel it is lacking in the overclocking settings you would expect from an 'Extreme Motherboard'. They have only good things to say about the stability of the board, so if you need a rock solid system with a lot of expansion capabilities more than you need a good overclocker, this might be the board for you.

"We'll be taking a look at one of Intel's motherboards today, specifically the Intel DZ77GA-70K which is part of its Extreme Motherboard series. How can you tell it's an extreme motherboard? Why it has a skull on it of course! All kidding aside there is more to the DZ77GA-70K than just marketing."

If you have run into motherboards branded with the Intel logo, you most likely did so in a server room as that is the market they have focused on. With the arrival of Ivy Bridge and Panther Point this has changed, the DZ77GA-70K motherboard even sports a skull on its heatsink to prove it. The board comes with a fair number of extras, The Tech Report found a mouse pad, a 3.5" drive bay insert with two USB 3.0 ports, a Bluetooth dongle, and PCIe 1x 802.11n WiFi card. Intel has also included their implementation of UEFI, called the Intel Visual BIOS, though you don't get to see all the screens in this preview as that would spoil a few surprises. It is still worth checking out; as we impatiently await the release of Ivy Bridge.

"While preparing for a certain upcoming processor launch, we've been spending some quality time with Intel's DZ77GA-70K motherboard. Read on for a quick look at Intel's latest enthusiast-oriented desktop board."